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La Gardette Mine, Villard-Notre-Dame, Grenoble, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Francei
Regional Level Types
La Gardette MineMine (Inactive)
Villard-Notre-DameCommune
GrenobleArrondissement
IsèreDepartment
Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesRegion
FranceCountry

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PhotosMapsSearchMineralogy
Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
45° 2' 7'' North , 6° 1' 55'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Mine (Inactive) - last checked 2021
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Le Bourg-d’Oisans3,352 (2017)2.2km
Auris232 (2016)4.4km
Ornon150 (2016)4.5km
Huez1,795 (2016)5.6km
Les Deux Alpes1,520 (2016)7.8km
Mindat Locality ID:
11294
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:11294:6
GUID (UUID V4):
0
Other/historical names associated with this locality:
Rhône-Alpes; Bourg d'Oisans
Name(s) in local language(s):
Mine de la Gardette, Bourg d'Oisans, Isère, Rhône-Alpes, France


"Villard-Notre-Dame: (Coming from Le Bourg-d'Oisans). South of the latter city on the D219. Brookite, chalcopyrite, ilmenite, a gold-bearing vein, argentiferous lead, and quartz on the dumps of the old La Gardette mine." [Belot, 1978]

This famous deposit is a narrow quartz-barite vein hosted in gneisses covered by Liassic limestones.

The mine started in the early 17th century for quartz "rock crystal" extraction, then for gold from 1781 to 1788. During this short operation, the deposit became famous for its beautiful quartz crystals found in several large vugs.

The mine was subsequently only operated for mineralogical specimens by many local prospectors until 2005 when all adits were finally closed…

Quartz twins with an angle of 84°30' were first described from this mine and are known as "La Gardette twins", but the name "Japan law twin" is more widely used, although it has no priority.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.


Mineral List


20 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

Aikinite
Formula: CuPbBiS3
Anglesite
Formula: PbSO4
Azurite
Formula: Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
Description: Very late phase in the paragenesis.
Beyerite
Formula: Ca(BiO)2(CO3)2
References:
Bruno Ducluzaux CollectionIdentified by Bruno Ducluzaux: SEM-EDS
Bismutite
Formula: (BiO)2CO3
References:
Bruno Ducluzaux CollectionIdentified by Bruno Ducluzaux: SEM-EDS
Brannerite
Formula: UTi2O6
Brookite
Formula: TiO2
Cerussite
Formula: PbCO3
Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
References:
Covellite
Formula: CuS
References:
Bruno Ducluzaux CollectionIdentified by Bruno Ducluzaux: SEM-EDS
Galena
Formula: PbS
Ilmenite
Formula: Fe2+TiO3
Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Native Gold
Formula: Au
Description: Masses up to 300 grams and octahedra dendrites in galena.
Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
Pyromorphite
Formula: Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Quartz
Formula: SiO2
Habit: Slender crystals, Dauphiné habit common.
Colour: Colorless.
Description: Large groups of well-developed, slender, clear rock crystals of very good luster. Dauphiné habit common. La Gardette is the "type locality" of crystals with lamellar structure as described by Weil (1930, 1931), and the "type locality" of Japan law twins, initially called "La Gardette twins" by Weiss (1829).
References:
Quartz var. Rock Crystal
Formula: SiO2
Siderite
Formula: FeCO3
References:
Bruno Ducluzaux CollectionIdentified by Bruno Ducluzaux: SEM-EDS
Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
'Tetrahedrite Group'
Formula: M2(A6)M1(B4 C2)X3(D4)S1(Y12)S2(Z)

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 1 - Elements
Native Gold1.AA.05Au
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
Covellite2.CA.05aCuS
Sphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
Chalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
Galena2.CD.10PbS
Pyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Aikinite2.HB.05aCuPbBiS3
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
Ilmenite4.CB.05Fe2+TiO3
Quartz4.DA.05SiO2
var. Rock Crystal4.DA.05SiO2
Brookite4.DD.10TiO2
Brannerite4.DH.05UTi2O6
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
Siderite5.AB.05FeCO3
Cerussite5.AB.15PbCO3
Azurite5.BA.05Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Malachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
Bismutite5.BE.25(BiO)2CO3
Beyerite5.BE.35Ca(BiO)2(CO3)2
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
Anglesite7.AD.35PbSO4
Baryte7.AD.35BaSO4
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
Pyromorphite8.BN.05Pb5(PO4)3Cl
Unclassified
'Tetrahedrite Group'-M2(A6)M1(B4 C2)X3(D4)S1(Y12)S2(Z)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
H AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
H MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
CCarbon
C AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
C BeyeriteCa(BiO)2(CO3)2
C Bismutite(BiO)2CO3
C CerussitePbCO3
C MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
C SideriteFeCO3
OOxygen
O AnglesitePbSO4
O AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
O BaryteBaSO4
O BeyeriteCa(BiO)2(CO3)2
O Bismutite(BiO)2CO3
O BranneriteUTi2O6
O BrookiteTiO2
O CerussitePbCO3
O IlmeniteFe2+TiO3
O MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
O PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
O QuartzSiO2
O SideriteFeCO3
O Quartz var. Rock CrystalSiO2
SiSilicon
Si QuartzSiO2
Si Quartz var. Rock CrystalSiO2
PPhosphorus
P PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
SSulfur
S AikiniteCuPbBiS3
S AnglesitePbSO4
S BaryteBaSO4
S ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
S CovelliteCuS
S GalenaPbS
S PyriteFeS2
S SphaleriteZnS
S Tetrahedrite GroupM2(A6)M1(B4 C2)X3(D4)S1(Y12)S2(Z)
ClChlorine
Cl PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
CaCalcium
Ca BeyeriteCa(BiO)2(CO3)2
TiTitanium
Ti BranneriteUTi2O6
Ti BrookiteTiO2
Ti IlmeniteFe2+TiO3
FeIron
Fe ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Fe IlmeniteFe2+TiO3
Fe PyriteFeS2
Fe SideriteFeCO3
CuCopper
Cu AikiniteCuPbBiS3
Cu AzuriteCu3(CO3)2(OH)2
Cu ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Cu CovelliteCuS
Cu MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
ZnZinc
Zn SphaleriteZnS
BaBarium
Ba BaryteBaSO4
AuGold
Au Native GoldAu
PbLead
Pb AikiniteCuPbBiS3
Pb AnglesitePbSO4
Pb CerussitePbCO3
Pb GalenaPbS
Pb PyromorphitePb5(PO4)3Cl
BiBismuth
Bi AikiniteCuPbBiS3
Bi BeyeriteCa(BiO)2(CO3)2
Bi Bismutite(BiO)2CO3
UUranium
U BranneriteUTi2O6

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
  • AlpsAccretionary Complex
EuropeContinent
France

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